The brutal punishment for singing a dead mother's lullaby.

The shockwave of the blast threw Megan forward. Dante caught her instantly, his powerful arms wrapping around her and dragging her to the floor just as the reinforced window spiderwebbed from the outside pressure.

"Stay down!" Dante roared over the screeching alarms. He covered her body with his own, shielding her from the dust and debris falling from the ceiling.

For a terrifying few seconds, the world was nothing but a cacophony of destruction. The heavy thud of automatic gunfire erupted from the front courtyard, echoing violently through the massive halls of the Whitmore estate. The Rowe loyalists had breached the outer gates.

Dante rolled off Megan, instantly drawing the heavy pistol from his shoulder holster. His angular jaw was set in stone, his eyes burning with calculated, lethal focus. He hauled Megan to her feet, his grip firm but careful not to touch her bandaged hands.

"Are you hurt?" Dante demanded.

"No, I'm okay," Megan coughed, waving away the plaster dust. Panic seized her heart as she remembered the layout of the house. "Dante, the explosion came from the east wing! The safe wing is on the east side! Felix is over there!"

A flash of genuine terror crossed Dante's stoic face. "Move. Now."

He dragged her out of the guest suite and into the grand hallway. The luxurious mansion was transforming into a war zone. Guards were sprinting past them, shouting orders and taking up defensive positions behind marble pillars and overturned walnut furniture. Smoke drifted lazily through the cascading crystal chandeliers.

"Hold the main staircase!" Dante bellowed to his lieutenant as they ran toward the eastern corridor. "Do not let them breach the second floor!"

They reached the heavy steel doors of the safe wing. The air here was thick with smoke, and the smell of cordite burned Megan’s lungs. Dante kicked the door open, his weapon raised.

Two of Dante's guards lay dead on the floor. The safe room door at the end of the hall was heavily dented, but it was still closed.

"Felix!" Dante shouted, rushing to the heavy biometric lock. He pressed his tattooed thumb against the scanner. The light flashed green, and the heavy door hissed open.

Inside, the third guard was bleeding from a shoulder wound, standing protectively in front of Felix. The toddler was clutching a teddy bear, his rosy cheeks pale with fear.

"Mommy!" Felix cried, breaking away from the guard and running toward the door.

Megan dropped to her knees, ignoring the throbbing pain in her hands, and wrapped her arms around the little boy. "I'm here, baby. I'm right here. Mommy's got you."

"We can't stay here," Dante said, pulling the wounded guard to his feet. "The east wing is compromised. They used a shaped charge to breach the outer wall. We need to move to the underground bunker beneath the wine cellar."